drachenfels

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

Here's the sneak peak I promised you yesterday at progress on Drachenfels, which for those of you who haven't seen it, is a large, asymmetric shawl, knit side to side.

I've completed just about the first third of it here. It's rather lovely just as it is, but I want the full large shawl to use on cold airplanes and winter nights.

This thought made me curious about the final dimensions, so I did a quick download of the pattern to check. Apparently I was a little bit too quick, as I downloaded the French version, which tells me:

Dimensions finales

Châle triangulaire légèrement asymétrique de 83“ [210 cm] par 25.5“ [65 cm] (voir le schéma)

It sounds so charming! And I'm guessing, since I speak no French, that it's indicating my final version should be around 83" in length and 25.5" as the maximum height of the triangle.

One note about color placement. If I were following the pattern as written, I would have only used the pink (The Plucky Knitter's Decorum Dictates) and the gray (The Plucky Knitter's Medieval). The yellow/green (The Plucky Knitter's Good 'Ole Days) would have only come into play in the midsection stripes. I wanted a bit more of a uniform feel, so I tucked two of the green stripes into this side, and will balance that with two stripes of the pink on the far side.

A little progress on Drachenfels

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

I wanted to share the introduction of color onto Drachenfels. It's so much fun to knit!

I've deviated a bit from the pattern to have all three colors show on each of the ends, so the green bit is my own addition. Knitting with cashmere is awfully, awfully fun. This project is more guilty pleasure than work.

The whole carrying the yarn along the edges to avoid weaving in all those ends thing is a challenge for me. I'm only going to be able to carry where there is a two row change in color. I'll need to spend some time looking for a better way to do it on longer runs, but for now, I've decided to be old fashioned and weave in my ends on those pretty pops of color!

Knitting with Dragons. Color Choices. Why I Knit.

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

Drachenfels, which means Dragon Cliffs in German, is also a wonderful pattern by Melanie Berg for a multi-colored, knit shawl.

(c) Melanie Berg (with permission)

My plan is to knit it with sport-weight cashmere from The Plucky Knitter.

The issue? Color selection. I have some choices ahead.

Choice One: the blue color is Thank You Note, and truth be told, it is probably my all time favorite color. The green is called Good Old Days, and the first time I saw it, I wondered who could possibly like it. The answer is me. I've got a hat on my needles in it, a sweater in a related shade in progress, and plans to do another sweater (because I want a pullover in this color in addition to the cardigan I'm knitting). I adore it, and although as a kid I was told I couldn't wear green, this one works for me. And gray. Because I love gray.

Choice Two: It's hard to capture the depth of this teal blue-green. It's the same color as the Olivia I currently have in progress, which I've also been unable to get an accurate color photo of.

Choice Three: I am not a colorful person. But I could be, especially if I knit Drachenfels up like this!

Choice Four: Ignore Thank You Note on the left, and focus on the delicious introduction of Cabernet, the red, with the pink (Decorum Dictates) and the light gray. This one might be impossible to resist.

Choice Five: My original thought was to go with the two grays and the scummy green. But the contrast wasn't high enough. Then Decorum Dictates, the blush pink, dropped into my lap while they were out. The three on the left — pink, gray, and green.

Choice Six: Another strong contender (ok, they are all strong contenders or we wouldn't be having this wishy-washy post), I originally thought about doing this is the red and grays combination, and this is the yarn I ordered for Drachenfels. And I still love it. I love them all. I think they would all be splendid. So, I'm having a hard time deciding.

Choice Seven: Finally, there is this lovely concoction of gray, blue, and red. It will look good with black, which is a must in my wardrobe. It is both unusual and familiarly comforting. I like it a lot. But then, as we have previously established, I like all of them.

So help me out. Let me know what you like and why. What would be practical. What would be whimsical. Help me decide on colors for my Drachenfels, and consider joining me! Drachenfels has been knit 511 times on Ravelry (as of this posting) and in such a wide variety of yarns!

This project pretty much sums up why I knit. Beautiful colors. Wonderful, soft fibers. Texture. The planning is as much fun as the knitting. The finished project will be surreal. Truly, I cannot wait!